Letters from Lida

April 25.

Dear Dorechka!

Thank you for your very truthful letter so in response I will write you everything as it is. I had a very hard winter and it influenced me in a way that I want to take this burden <owning the store> off my shoulders now. But how could I afford it? I tried to have a helper but had more minuses from her than pluses. What kind of help is it if I could not leave <the store> even for a minute? You know yourself that our cash register is always open and even if it is locked, it does not make much difference – we have such petty sales that it is impossible to keep an eye on everything. To find somebody we can trust is very hard because of the temptation <to steal>. Now in summer it is easier on me, first <unclear>, and also I don’t have to carry such heavy loads, also Papa is stopping by and Frida (1) comes, but even that it is tiresome to me – I have to stay on my feet all day to keep everything in order – now the rules are very strict – and also to put items in place, and after all these at night I have to take care of all accounts and records. Maybe it seems like nothing much, but at my age it’s very burdensome. I don’t even think about the summer but am scared of the winter and thinking hard how to get rid of all these. But sure I consider that we have to support both of us and plan to get some (not much) money from the <sale of> the apartment. It would be too bad to pass the store to other <outside of the family> hands, so I would have to give it to Abram.(2) I feel sorry for him but would have to ask him to move out of the apartment </house>, and then we would be able to have something to live on. As for what you wrote, that by your departure you freed us from taking care of you, this is just in your mind <imagination>, because I don’t stop thinking about you, all of you, but you especially, and I think that with the store we would be able to provide for you <at least partially>. And forget about us going to Palestine, I never thought about it for many reasons besides the climate. I would be very pleased with your “lyst-raik” and wish it would happen as soon as possible. I wrote you all truth, the rest you know yourself so please think about it well. You will have enough friends among people around you, if you did not stay such a loner as you were, although you wrote yourself that previous Dorka <Dora> does not exist anymore, so even more so. Meilach (3) is still with Shimshin,(4) but he wants to a pay increase up to 200, apparently he wants to get separated from us to live on his own. Whatever he wants, and let God give them all what they want. Frida would want to have a store for her business but she is not really willing to sit <to work> in the store. So far only I and Frida are planning this, and nobody else, even Papa, do not know about it. Lisa, thank God, is already on her feet and her boy is developing very well. (5) Abram is doing so-so, but lately Sheina (6) does not feel good. Last Sunday we were in Vilno to see the doctor and she will have to go to Vilno again. We saw over there oneof Zabludovskoy’s daughters, and one of Schelubskoy’s, because they were writing that they are very happy, which I doubt of course. Uncle Chaim-Abe is really going to go to Mexico.(7) Do you have a job and how is your financial situation? Did you go to Vulf (8) and with whom - I understand it is not a pleasure to go there. What about Fanechka, has their court case ended finally? Give them my love from all my heart and wish them from me all the best. Be healthy, your loving mama Revekka.

My dearests!

I think, mama wrote about everything. I want to go to town with Gitel (9) for a little. Dorochka, Gitel is very nice and good girl, when I start quartz lamp treatment, (10) I will go to the photo studio to have a picture made of myself with Gitel. I have enlarged lymph glands since winter but did not have time to start the quartz treatment. What is going on with you, how is dear Fanechka is doing? X, (11) why did you stop writing us at all? You probably think that Dorechka writes us a lot, but she did not spoil us < with her letters> either, and about herself she writes very little. How is Manfred doing? <Unclear> It is still cold over here, still have to heat the stoves. Fanechka, how is your life? Do you have a maid and how you manage at your work? How is your health, my dearest? Write us how Dorechka doing, if she changed in this year of her life in Palestine? (12) Meilech sends his regards from all his heart. My kisses to all of you, your loving Frida.

Dorechkla, don’t be angry with me – next time I will write more. Today I am very upset with our maid. It appears that she is not honest, but we have to keep her somehow until the end of the months and then we will fire her. My kisses to you, Gitel (13)

(1) Revekka’s daughter Frida
(2) Revekka’s brother-in-law, who eventually emigrated to Mexico
(3) Revekka’s son-in-law
(4) Another of Revekka’s brothers-in-law
(5) Lisa has recently given birth to a boy
(6)Abram’s wife; Revekka’s sister-in-law
(7) And that really happened about October 1937 - see letters 26 and 22. So this letter is probably from 1937.
(8) A cousin mentioned in a previous letter, also in Palestine
(9) As Frida wrote this, this most likely means her daughter
(10) A treatment for swollen glands in those pre-antibiotic days
(11) Name of Fanya’s child removed for privacy reasons.
(12) Since Dora has been in Palestine for about a year, this letter must be from 1937
(13) NOT Frida's child - the writer is clearly an adult.

Letters from Lida - 17